By Phil Murphy
Senior Multimedia/Content Manager
Washington D.C. Metro Area

After losing to McLean at the buzzer in the first of two matches last year, Langley methodically took the second regular season meeting by 11 points.

And, after this year's initial match-up took two overtimes to complete, the Saxons got similar satisfaction out of their regular-season series finale with their cross-town rivals.

They used picture-perfect motion offense to pick-off the Highlanders, 43-28, in the nightcap of Friday's Rotary Cup double-header.

"A couple of our games earlier in the season -- a couple of games we lost -- the difference was that we were taking contested jump shots," Langley coach Travis Hess said. "That's why I stressed the importance of getting shots -- even jump shots -- as long as they're not contested jump shots.

"We've been working on setting better screens, making better cuts, to trying to get some of those better looks."

Although, the Saxons had a lot of easy looks at the basket on Friday, they gave up a good number to the Highlanders early.

McLean, though, struggled to convert on inside -- and second-chance -- baskets, which allowed Langley to open a five-point halftime lead.

But the Saxons did not take any chances in the third and fourth quarters, doing so by not allowing second chances for the Highlanders' offense in that span.

"Everyone plays really good defense," said Saxon senior Barrett Hunter, who scored 10 points. "We played great help-side. We had a little trouble rebounding in the first half, but we did a lot better in the second half.

"We need to keep playing great defense and we'll be in every game."

Added Hess, whose team has won three of its last four Liberty District games: "You always feel like McLean is in the game because of their style, their ability to shoot the 3-pointer.

"You're always nervous. But we played a lot better, rebounded a lot better, in the second half."

While Hess mulled over the Highlanders' ability to stroke the three, he had his own play-maker raining shots from beyond the arc to stretch the Saxon lead.

Langley senior Derek Baker scored 11 of his game-high 16 points -- and connected on three of his game-high four 3-pointers -- in the second half.

"I wasn't hitting my shots at the beginning of the game," he said. "But my teammates told me to keep shooting. That's what I did and they started falling."

Added McLean coach Kevin Roller: "Defensively, I thought we made three mistakes in the third quarter and Baker scored eight points on those three mistakes."

For the Highlanders, the game was not without highlights. They only put up 14 first-half points, but had a number of open looks.

Junior forward Phil Bouchard scored five consecutive points in the third quarter and had a trio of highlight-worthy blocks.

But the most pleasant McLean surprise was the play of freshman guard Gordon Rogo, who scored a team-high seven points in limited minutes off the bench. And with continued improvement on the defensive end of the floor, Roller said his contribution -- and minutes -- could increase.

"He's been getting better every week since like the middle of December," Roller said. "He's beginning to realize moves that worked against eighth-grade competition last year -- that he tried for the first month and half here, you go to your muscle memory -- what worked last year and what doesn't work. That's done a lot for his confidence and for my confidence.

"He's still got a way to go, but it's really been the improvement at the defensive end that's getting him on the floor. And, tonight, it's getting up some points that kept him on the floor."


Email: pmurphy@digitalsports.com


McLean    4   10   7    7   --  28
Langley    9   10  10  14  --  43

McLean -- Rogo 1 5-6 7; Gjino 2 0-0 5; Bouchard 2 1-5 5; Barch 1 2-4 5; Dahl 1 0-0 2; Brosnan 0 2-2 2; Amolo 0 1-2 1; Fitzgerald 0 1-2 1. Team totals: 7 12-21 28. 
Langley -- Baker 5 2-3 16; Hunter 5 0-0 10; Kody 1 3-4 5; Devlin 2 0-0 4; Pritchett 1 2-4 4; McLindon 1 0-0 2; Justus 1 0-2 2. Team totals: 16 7-13 43.
Three-pointers -- McLean 2 (Barch, Gjino); Langley 4 (Baker 4).